12 Finishing Touches for Your Unfinished Basement

An unfinished basement, with its concrete floor and exposed joists, may seem dreary and cold. But in reality it is an enormous blank canvas just waiting for your inspired ideas and artistic vision. The fact is, you don't really need niceties like drywall and recessed lighting to create an inviting space.
Before you begin, do what you need to do to make sure the space is dry and clean. Fix any water issues and apply waterproofing if necessary. Unfinished concrete flooring will produce fine dust if it’s not sealed, so you may want to consider applying a sealer. It’s an easy DIY project that will go a long way to making your unfinished basement a lot more comfortable and manageable to maintain.
When it comes to decorating ideas, the industrial look is in, which lends itself well to dressing up the subterranean infrastructure of a an unfinished basement. So, consider those exposed beams, pipes and wires an asset and play them up. If you need a few more sockets to make the space functional, don’t be afraid to run electrical conduit right on top of a brick wall or over wood joists. Then, focus on warming the space up and injecting personality into it by adding items like rugs, fabrics and curtains. These will also help to divide the space in the absence of actual walls. Employ a few of these creative ideas—all of them low cost and low effort—to transform your unfinished basement into a comfortable retreat everyone will be drawn to.

Lay Down Foam Mats

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Most unfinished basements have a poured concrete floor. Soften it up for playtime or workout time with square foam floor mats. They come in different sizes and colors, and join together like a puzzle—and they're easy to pick up and move elsewhere or stack away and store when your needs change.

String Some Lighting

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Most unfinished basements have very few electrical outlets and just a couple of naked bulb fixtures mounted in the ceiling. Bring more light to the space and create a playful ambience by hanging some industrial string lights. With just one outlet, you can illuminate a large area with several strings of lights.

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Throw Down Area Rugs

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Area rugs can warm up a cold basement floor quickly. Depending on the size of your space, you could use one large rug or several smaller ones. You could even go for carpeting remnants—a low-cost, effective option that can both cozy up a basement and help define different functional areas in the space.

Install Storage

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Having an extra floor below grade means you have a lot of potential storage space underfoot. Make the most of your unfinished basement by putting up shelving to store off-season clothing, sporting gear, tools, and more.

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Paint Your Cinder Block

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Basement walls of cinder block, brick, or even poured concrete can be transformed pretty quickly and simply with a coat of paint. Go for a solid color, or get wild and design a mural to brighten up that subterranean space of yours.

Hang Curtains

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No walls? No problem! Put up a simple and inexpensive curtain system to divide space and add dimension to an unfinished basement. If you can't install a track on the ceiling, try stretching picture wire taut across the room, then attach café hooks to flat sheets for an easy no-sew DIY project perfect for a beginner.

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Create an Art Studio

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The great thing about an unfinished space is you don’t need to be too fussy about getting it messy. So why not transform part of your unfinished basement into an art studio? If paint and glitter get all over the floor, they'll just add charm and inspiration.

Craft a Canopy for Your Ceiling

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If the rafter ceiling in your unfinished basement feels too cold and industrial for your taste, soften it by hanging swaths of fabric to create a beautiful canopy ceiling. In this billowy basement, a whimsical pendant light complements the canopy perfectly—but even on its own, the fabric makes a soothing impact.

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Build a Workshop

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Every do-it-yourselfer needs a place to make the magic happen. What better spot for a workshop than an unfinished basement? A sturdy concrete floor makes cleanup easier, and open studs and rafters provide excellent organization and storage space with the simple addition of pegboard and shelving.

Paint the Rafters

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Painting the exposed beams of your basement ceiling can make the entire space feel more finished without heavy renovation. As a bonus, all of your utilities will remain completely accessible, in case you need to make repairs to your ceiling in the future.

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Create a Partition

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Installing a small, temporary wall can help to delineate space without requiring permits and major planning. Once the curtain is drawn in front of the washer/dryer, this basement laundry room essentially disappears, letting the wet bar take center stage.

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